Speakers The single most critical component


I know we've been over this Q hundreds of X's over the past 20 years here on audion, You can find dozen of topics dealing with this Q <which is the ,,,,most important component...>>
well time for yet 1 more topic dealing with this,, perhaps unanswered, un-resolved issue.
I'm bringing up the old hachet due to my recent experience acutally hearinga FR in my system. 
Let me tell you, there is not even 1 traditional/conventioanl/xover design <The Boxed Type>> in the world that could convince me  , there is something that will beat out FR (caveat, FR requires  some sort of high sens =sensitivity, tweeter)  in  the Boxy world of speakers.
That is to say, FR + Compression Horn is the future of 21st Century high fidelity. 
One lab has already brought us these ~~~SHF~~~ aka SuperHighFidelity  single drivers. 
The code word here is ~~SHF~~~ which can not never be employed when describing xover/trad/conventioanl style  aka The Box designs. db level under 91 are _<<IN-EFFICIENT>> , = dysfunctional, out dated, old school , = Dinasaurs. 
For amps, I only consider tube amps (PP and SET) as ~~SHF~~~ I can not include ss amps in this topic. 
IMHO all well made tube amps sound very close,
 a  kt88 in brand X will sound  close to brand Y. 
So amplification takes a  distant 2nd place in critical component.  No need to break the bank buying amp A vs  a  lower priced kt88 amp B
CD players, nearly all  tube DAC's , tube cdp-ers sound  close. No need to braek the bank over X vs Y.
My Jadis DAC is  only miniscule gain over the Shanling,
 the Shanling
only a  miniscule gain over the Cayin CD17. 
Now as for  best source  , phonograph is the ideal playback medium vs cds. 
I have some LP's now , but my main collection are classical cds, most not on LP version. Cables , I did note some gains employing silver/copper wiring throughout my entire system including inside the Defy.
Tweak worthy.
New Mundorf caps in all componets, tweak worthy. 
Yet the main central component remaisn the speakers.
Here is where  the entire audio resolution either rises to Nirvana or falls to <<distortion/muddy waters,/pollution/anti-fidelity  voicing  issues.
Your system's fidelity is ultimately dependent on what speaker  you have chosen to employ.
Forget all you've learned over the years, 
The new mantra is <,The speaker is key component>
All else is just extra tweaks/nuances. 
To sum up, a  ~~SHF~~ driver will match even the top of line Wilson weighing in at hundreds of lbs priced $$$$$$$ overa single FR driver. 
FR beats out any/all xover box design speakers. Mostly due to that key specification ~~db level~~~ which is everything in speaker design and thus in resolution/fidelity. 

mozartfan
I agree to a large degree with the comments about the room. In my experience I had a $20,000 speaker in a properly sized well treater room I moved the system to another location in the same space but lost the point of boundary reinforcement for the right speaker. All the dac, cable, and other tweaks I made became much less relevant to my ears in the new location. I can still get great sound and enjoy the system but it took going through this exercise to understand the importance or room reinforcement.  
Yes those drivers you mention are really fantastic.  Had this discussion with a local dealer recently regarding how he decides on a particular product line.  On of his comments were who makes the drivers.  In theory anyone can make any type of speaker cabinet and use drivers.  He likes the manufacturers who make their own drivers.  All things make a difference.  For example I would not use a Class D amp with a horn speaker.  If you like these speakers then set-up up to field coil designs.  
Revel F228Be 90 db efficiency, easy to drive. Stereophile speaker of the year. 10k new but can be found for 7k used. 
What’s to get here, pragmatically speaking, is that the speakers (and acoustics) have always mattered the most to even approach "perfection," and trying to convince oneself we’ve actually accomplished that seems, if anything, unrealistic. Everything may matter to some degree, but certainly not all equally.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Best post on this topic, I was not going to touch Millercarbon's comment, as i could not come up with the excellent response  you provide.
The Jadis DPL is a  nuance superior to the 12AT7 I sold off.
The Jadis DAC is a  nuance+... superior to the Shanling 3000.
The Defy7 is  a  nuance superior to RG's baby Gray/Allan Organ  monos.
But now we come to speakers,
There are indeed weaknesses in the 6.5 single FR, addinga  tweet corrects this. 
I am running a  Dayton FR 3.5 on top the 6.5 FR, which does compensate for some ambient highs. 
The Vifa  clone arrives next week, Then we can hear a  FR + designated 91db tweet with the FR.
The Seas Thor was  like listening to a wet blanket thrown over the speaker. 
All of Granesen's designs are 92db/lower , None of his offerings will work for my tube amplification. 
The purpose of this topic was answered last night 3am  as i awoke with the realization that...
The lower the efficiency of the speaker, the less effective the tube amplification. 
Now i know above I was more than forgiving allowing speakers with a  92/91 db rating to be employed with tube amplification. I have to revoke and condemn that generosity. 
In my  book, the new  numbers are 93/94db efficiency., 
Why did I change?
Because every quality FR efficiency #'s begin at 94db. 
So if a  speaker is not 94db/higher, the speaker  will not make the ideal match for tube amplification. 
Speakers for tube amplification begins at 94db. 
This would be the FR class of speakers. 
AT 93db, you are now on the threshold of compromising a  tube amplification from its highest range of performance. 
I rest my case. 
I so wish I had understood these things wayy back 2000 when i started my speaker quest in the topic, Speaker shootout at the OK Coral...